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Learn more about national efforts to raise awareness about gender based violence throughout the year:

The Reason Behind My Purple Nail: Giving A Voice To Children Who Witness Domestic Violence

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

“One in four women in the U.S. has experienced serious physical violence by an intimate partner. Most of this violence is committed by men.” says Liz Roberts, deputy CEO of Safe Horizon, the nation’s leading victim assistance organization. Too often, these same men also abuse the children of their female victims.

I should know, it happened to me.

In 1983, my mother was murdered when I was just 15 years old.

The sad reality is that more than 3 million children in the U.S. witness domestic violence in the home every year. Most are powerless to do anything about it. As was I.

That’s why I support Safe Horizon. I recently toured their largest domestic violence shelter. Upon entering I encountered a 6-year-old girl. All I could think was, “Thank God you’re here. Thank God you are safe.”

This October, for Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I am painting my left ring fingernail purple (the color for domestic violence awareness), as part of Safe Horizon’s #PutTheNailinIt campaign. This simple action signifies my vow to end domestic violence and the silence surrounding it.

If we remain silent, the insidious and rampant disease of domestic violence thrives. We all must be part of the conversation and work for a solution to end it.

Help choose the winner of the DVAM YouTube Challenge, Supporting Children and Youth Exposed to Domestic Violence and their Abused Parents, sponsored by the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) Program. Voting starts on November 15th and ends on November 30th.

This new Special Collection developed by the National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center offers a historical and cultural context of Native peoples in the United States, explores Native communities’ experiences of violence, oppression, justice, and resilience, and provides access to tribal advocacy resources.

Designed in collaboration with the National Council of Teachers of English, Lessons from Literature extends and enriches existing the core literature curriculum while raising student’s awareness of relationship abuse.